Woven cloth



0d 8 1946 J. v. WEINBERGER WOVEN GLOTHV Filed Aug. 10, 1945 mvemon JANN-wemsnem www? K ATTORN EYS Patented Oct. 8, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE In Canada October 21,

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-390) This invention relatesA to cloth and the .object is to .provide a woven cloth havingcharacteristics which render it especially useful asa Protective covering for soldiers and others exposed toinjury by bullets, shrapnel, or other flying objects.

More particularly, the invention provides a thick, dense, stretchable cloth of novel constructionrcharacterized by a high degree of tensile strength and the absence of internal voids or air spaces. These characteristics render the cloth highly resistant to penetration by bullets, shrapnel, fragmentation or other flying objects since the force of impact of such objects against the cloth is cushioned by the thickness and internal density characteristics of the cloth and also by the flexing and tensioning ofthe cloth which ensures that the force of impact will be distributed over and resisted by a large area of the cloth bordering the point of impact. The flexing and tensioning of the cloth also tends to vdeiiect objects impacting thereagainst so that the effect of the impact on the body of the wearer is that of a glancing rather than a direct blow.

In its preferred embodiment the cloth of my invention comprises a plurality of courses of vlarge gauge weftwise extending fillers bound in place and crushed together by a plurality of woven binding fabric between which-the iillers are laid during the weaving operation. The fillers-of each course are staggered rwith reference to the llers of the next adjacent course or .courses :and the binding; fabrics exte 'd in sinuous or zig-,zag fashion/from one face of the cloth .to the'opposite face. The binding fabrics are complete as to warp and weft and are woven with suflicient warp tension to cause the iillers of each course to be crushed into close contact with each otherland with the llers ofthe adjacent course oreourses. This crushing together vof the fillers" eliminates internal voids and air spaces and thereby produces a relatively thick cloth of exceptional density. During the weaving operation inwhich the iillers are laid in place therebetween, thecomponent fabrics of the cloth are woven so that the Warp threads in each fabric pass between lthe Warp threads ofthe remaining fabrics at a number of points of intersection 'where the fabrics cross one another in passing from one face cf the cloth to the opposite face. This produces a finished cloth yin which eachfiller is substantially completely enclosed by an enveloping woven fabric covering conjointly formed by filler. engaging portions of component fabrics of the cloth. The thickness of the cloth produced in accordance with .thisinvention may be increased to any desired extent within practical limits by increasing the number of courses or fillers and the number of binding fabrics.

The invention will now be further described in S and I0 2 connectonwith the accompanying-drawing, Vin which- Fig. 1 isa diagram illustrating the Vmanner ,in which the large gauge llers are bound in place between a plurality of woven fabrics which-extend in sinuous or zig-zag fashion from oneface of the cloth to the opposite face. In this -view the nllers are shown in an uncrushed condition and the binding fabrics are shown in what may be termed a relaxed or untensioned condition since the main purpose of this View is to illustrate the relative staggering of the fillers contained in adjacent courses and the manner in which the binding fabrics are trained around the fillers in passing from one face to the opposite face :of the cloth.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrates the manner in which the fillers are crushed-together and caused to assume a triangular ,shape by the warp tensioning to which the `binding fabrics are subjected during the weaving of the cloth.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustratingmore or less diagrammatically, the manner in'which the warp threads of each fabric pass between the warp threads of the remaining fabrics at the points of intersection Where the fabrics crossone another in passing from one face of the cloth to the other.

Referring more particularly -to the drawing, my improved cloth'is generally indicated at 5. It comprises two courses of fillers respectively indicated at 6 and 1 and three woven binding fabrics respectively indicated at 8, 9 andfl. The llers Bof one course lie adjacent one face of the' cloth and are staggered withfreference to the fillers 1 of the companion course which lie adjacent the opposite face of the cloth. The fillers and 'l extendin the we'ftwise direction of the cloth and are of much larger gauge-than the component warp -and vweft strands of the binding fabrics 8, 9 and |70. Exceptionally good results are obtained when `the fillers S and 1 and the'warp and weft strands of the woven fabrics are made exclusively of nylon but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe use of this-material since any other materials havingthelrequisite properties may be used. Each'of the binding fabrics 8, 9 and |0is ua lcomplete woven fabric comprising warp strands A and weft strands B. These binding fabrics are trained around the fillers 6 and I as shown in the drawings so that said fabrics extend in sinuous or zig-Zag fashion'from one face to the opposite face of the finished cloth.

During the weaving operation in which the fillers E and l are hound in place between the fabrics 8, 9 and l0, the latter are woven so that the warp strands A of each fabric pass between the warp strands A of the remaining fabrics at 1adjacent course in such internal voids or air spaces and thereby provide 'a relatively thick cloth Vclosely packed a number of points of intersection where the fabrics cross one another in passing from one face to the opposite face of the cloth. This is best seen in Figs. 1 and 3. During the weaving operation the fabrics 8, 9 and I 0 are placed under sullicient warp tension so that the llers 6 and l, which are initially of circular cross section as shown in Fig. 1, are crushed together so that they assume the triangular shape-illustrated in Fig. 2. Also, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the crushing of the fillers 6 and I lby the warp tensioning of the woven fabrics 8, 9 and I0 causes the llers of each course to be crushed into contact with each other and with the fillers of the manner as to veliminate of great density. It will also be noted that the binding fabrics S, 9 and a woven fabric covering which is conjointly formed by filler engagingr portions of the three binding fabrics. As previously intimated, the invention is not restricted to the manufacture of cloth having only two courses of llers bound in place between three binding fabrics since thicker cloths may be produced by increasing the number of courses of fillers and the number of binding fabrics employed. In the case of a cloth comprising two courses of relatively staggered, large gauge llers and three binding fabrics the effect of the crushing action to which the fillers are subjected by the binding fabrics is to change the cross sectional shape of the llers from the circular shape shown in Fig. 1 to the triangular shape shown in Fig. 2, thus producing a type of cloth in which the llers, as viewed in cross section, present the appearance of similar reversely arranged triangles fitted together in closely nested relation.

4such as that caused by the impact of a bullet or and can be pierced only by objects forcing their way through instead of crowding aside the fillers it will be seen that this cloth has great impact cushioning properties as well as high resistance to penetration and these properties are enhanced by the stretchability and;

tensile strength of the cloth.

An exceptionally desirable type of protective cloth may be formed by taking two cloths made in accordance with this invention and laminating them together so that the weftwise extending llers of one cloth are disp-used at right angles to the weftwise extending llers of the component cloth. The two cloths thus laminated may b e secured together by binding threads, rivets or other suitable fastening means.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim: y

1. A Woven cloth comprising a plurality of courses of large gauge weftwise extending llers bound in place and crushed together by a plurality of intersecting woven binding fabrics.

2. A woven cloth as set forth in claim 1, in which the llers of each course are staggered with reference to the llers of the next adjacent course or courses.

'3. A woven cloth as set forth in claim 1, in which the llers of each course are staggered with reference to the llers of the next adjacent course or courses and in which the woven binding fabrics are trained around the llers so that each fabric repeatedly crosses each of the remaining fabrics at a plurality of points of intersection and extends in zig-zag fashion from one face to the opposite face of thev nished cloth.

4. A woven cloth comprising a plurality of courses of large gauge weftwise extending llers bound in place and crushed together by a plurality of intersecting woven binding fabrics, said woven fabrics extending in zig-zag fashion from one face to the opposite face of the cloth so that each fabric repeatedly crosses each of the remaining fabrics at a plurality of lpoints of intersection where the warp strands of one fabric pass between the warp strands of the intersecting fabrics, said fabrics being woven under sufficient warp tension to cause the fillers of each course to be crushed into close contact with each other and with the fillers of the next adjacent course or courses.

5. A woven cloth 4as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that each filler is substantially completely enclosed by a woven fabric envelope conjointly formed by a plurality of said fabrics.

6. A woven cloth comprising two courses voi" large gauge weftwise extending fillers which are bound in place and crushed'together by a plurality of woven binding fabrics so that, in cross section, the two courses of llers present the appearance of similar, reversely arranged triangles tted tOgether in closely nested relation, said fabrics being woven so that the warp strands of each fabric repeatedly pass between the warp strands of each of the remaining component fabrics at a plurality of spaced points of intersection where the fabrics cross in passing from one face to the opposite face of the finished cloth.

7. A laminated material comprising a plurality of plies of woven cloth, each ply comprising a plurality of courses of large gauge weftwise extending fillers bound "in place and crushed together by woven so that the warp strands of each fabric repeatedly pass'between the warp strands of each of the remaining component fabrics at a, plurality of spaced points of rics cross inpassing in zig-zag fashion from one face to the opposite face of the cloth, said material being further characterized in that the component plies thereof are secured together so that the weftwise extending llers of one ply cross the weftwise extending llers of the next adjaa plurality of woven fabrics which are intersection where the fab- 

